District Attorney George Gascón Urges Public to Exercise Traffic Safety During the Holiday Season

San Francisco – On the one year commemoration of a Twin Peaks traffic fatality that took the life of Ms. Yuee Yao, District Attorney George Gascón urged the public to work together to make San Francisco’s streets safer and free of traffic fatalities and collisions.

“Today, we remember Ms. Yao who took her last breaths in the arms of her son before paramedics took her away,” said District Attorney George Gascón. “This was an avoidable tragedy and a reminder for the public to work together for a tragedy free holiday season.”

On December 13, 2012, Ms. Yuee Yao, her son Kai Yuan and two friends were walking on Christmas Tree Point Road, in Twin Peaks to take in the city views. Defendant Gina Eunice, age 24 of San Francisco, was driving with passengers in her car around 9pm in the Twin Peaks Vista Point area. Eunice was driving while intoxicated and slammed into the group of pedestrians knocking Ms. Yuee Yao down a hillside and causing her death. Eunice then drove away from the scene and was found at a nearby parking lot. Eunice was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence causing injury and hit and run driving causing death. This week, on December 18, 2013, she pled guilty to Felony Vehicular Manslaughter while Intoxicated and was sentenced to four years prison and a strike under California’s three strikes laws. It is her first strike under California’s three strikes laws.

The District Attorney reminded the public that often times when a case gets to his office, it is often too late. He urged the public to avoid some of the biggest traffic safety issues including:

• Speeding• Unsafe lane changes• Running red lights• Failure to yield at a crosswalk• Lack of attentiveness due to distractions • Texting or talking on the phone while driving • Drinking and driving